A. P. Giannini

The Inferno

April 18, 1906

San Francisco

            Armando Pedrini, Bank of Italy’s cashier, had begun the day as he always did with a trip to the strong and well-guarded vaults at nearby Crocker-Woolworth National, San Francisco’s largest bank.  Even with a police station nearby, A. P. did not like to keep money overnight in his bank.  His iron safe looked secure to customers, but it was really not much more than a large tin box.  In the evenings, Armando took the money to the bigger bank for safekeeping. 

            After retrieving $80,000 from Crocker-Woolworth that morning, Armando returned to Bank of Italy and placed the money—mostly gold and silver—in its safe.  Although A. P. had not arrived, Armando opened the bank for business by nine o’clock with the day’s cash on hand.   He stood at the door and waited for customers.  Yet all morning, the three wooden desks and few chairs inside the one-room bank remained empty.  Built on solid ground, the bank had only minor damage from the earthquake, but Armando could see dark clouds of smoke drifting overhead, spreading burning cinders like dandelion seeds.   

            About noon, A. P. came hurrying up the street.  He had spent five hours trying to get to work instead of his usual 30 minutes.  He sent Armando out in search of news and information.  Loud explosions began to jar the city.  Working ahead of the flames, soldiers and firemen tried to create a fire line by deliberately blowing up buildings with dynamite.  They hoped that without wood structures or other fuel, the fires would not be able to spread. 

Instead, their efforts added to the chaos.  The explosions blew out windows, raining shards of glass, marble, brick, and concrete into the streets.  Errant blasts set new buildings on fire.  With too many fires and not enough experienced men, efforts to draw a line against the advancing blaze proved futile.  The fire front was a mile wide, and the few steam engines and hook-and-ladders could not travel quickly through the wreckage.  With no reliable communication, no water, and no leadership from their dying chief, the 585 San Francisco firefighters faced impossible odds of saving their city.   

            By early afternoon, A. P. saw that the giant fire south of Market Street was heading toward North Beach.  Quickly, he closed the bank.  Believing that no place in San Francisco was safe, A. P. decided to take the money to his home. 

            But how?  The streets were clogged with rubble.  Gangs of ruffians wandered about, looking for trouble.  No trains or street cars could operate.  All the firemen, soldiers, and police were working desperately to control the fires.  A. P. had to carry tens of thousands of dollars in gold and silver through a dangerous and fiery city.  He needed to camouflage his valuable cargo, but he would have to hide it in plain sight.